Ghana orders excavator owners to register with MMDAs
Ghana through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has directed excavators’ owners to have the machines registered with the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies across the country.
The Ministry has given the owners 7 Days to be registered failure to which unregistered excavators whether located at a mining site, another operational site or elsewhere, will be confiscated and the required legal actions will be followed to seize it to the State.
Mining Act, 2006
The order according Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor is in accordance with section 100 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), is to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of L.I. 2404’s requirements as well as to combat the threat of illegal mining, also known as “galamsey.”
During the registration, they must specify the purpose for which the excavator is being used or is to be used and the area where the excavator is being used or will be used. The registration period is expected to end on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, across the country.
“All owners, operators and/or users of excavators in the country shall, within seven days of this notice, excluding weekends and statutory holidays, register their excavators with the Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assembly (MMDA) with jurisdiction over the area where the excavator is located; for the avoidance of doubt, the deadline for the registration of all excavators in the country is by close of business on Wednesday, 2nd November 2022. Notice is hereby given to the general public, and particularly owners, operators and/or users of excavators, as well as all MMDAs to ensure strict compliance with these directives,” stated press statement signed by the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor.
